Running for office is expensive. In Connecticut, the Citizen’s Election Program helps prospective candidates publicly finance their campaigns to keep out private money.

Connecticut got the nickname “corrupticut” in the early 2000s. It was in response to former Governor John Rowland’s (R) corruption scandal, in which he had accepted personal favors, like house renovations, in exchange for state contracts.

Rowland spent 10 months in federal prison. He was recently pardoned by President Donald Trump.

“Corrupticut” summed up how much the state felt during the scandal, like the notion that lobbyists could buy politicians.

Chris Donovan (D) was the speaker of the state House at the time.

“20 years ago, we faced a crisis in our democracy,” Donovan said at a recent event about the state’s cam

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